1191. In Whom We Have an Inheritance–The Present View
In Whom We Have an Inheritance–The Present View
"In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
"Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory" (Eph_1:13-14).
If Eph_1:11 speaks of the Father's inheritance in us, we need not marvel that Eph_1:14 speaks of our inheritance in Him.
This is a theme worthy of enlargement, and of a wide scope of consideration. Let us examine some of the riches of this inheritance.
1. This inheritance is exclusively for sons, saints. In Eph_1:13 we read, "In Whom also after that ye believed." The unregenerate are God's creatures, but they are sinners and ungodly, condemned, under sentence of death; they have neither part nor lot in this inheritance.
What saith the Scripture? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman."
2. The inheritance is for sons, under God's sure seal. "After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." Blessed is this seal which is given us of God. There may be many a slip between the cup and the lip, but there will be no slip to our inheritance.
Pledges of earthly riches may fade away; they may prove no more than the mirage of the desert, but His promise is sure: it bears the seal of the one good thing of all that He hath spoken.
3. The inheritance is partly given to us now. "Who is the earnest of our inheritance." It is all very well to think of what lies ahead, but how gracious is God to have given us, even here and now, the "first portion," the earnest of what is to come.
4. The inheritance will be ours at the redemption of the purchased possession. That is, when our bodies are changed and God enters into His fuller inheritance in us, possessing His possession, then we too shall enter into the fullness of our inheritance in Him.
5. The inheritance itself is manifold. Let us study something of the inheritance to come, by the "earnest," which we have already received. The full fruits of the harvest are similar in character with the first-fruits; the inheritance will be given in full, and in the same quality as the earnest is given.
The earnest of our inheritance is the indwelling Spirit. What does this earnest impart to saints? Briefly stated, He imparts love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, etc.
What will the full inheritance bring? A perfection of all of these Heavenly graces, a supply unto all the fullness of God.
Can Heaven afford us anything better than this? How we have longed and prayed for the graces down here: how we have rejoiced in the small "earnest" which we have had! What will it be over there? What love, what joy, what peace, what gentleness! No marvel God will choose us as His inheritance, for He will bestow upon us His master workmanship, the complete fullness of God.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR